Duck-Rabbator | The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery

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Notes / Commercial Description:
The Duck-Rabbator Dopplebock is a powerfully malty German-style lager. The malty / grainy flavors so dominate this beer, it's like a whole loaf of bread in every glass! Is it a beverage or is it a meal? It's both.

Reviews by kwakwhore:

Dark brown pour with an light tan head. Not a huge amount of lacing
Initial explosion of dark fruit on the nose, which subsides to a whiff of malty goodness.
Flavor is the best part of this beer. Dark chocolate, a bit of roasted malt, some espresso notes(I just got back from Italy so I guess that coffee is on my mind a bit). The flavors persist for a long time on the tongue.
For such a strong beer this is perilously easy to drink.
This beer is very much in the vein of the traditional German dopplebocks and is so rich that I would not have been surprised if it were an eisbock. This might well become my favorite Duck Rabbit beer.

More User Reviews:

This is one hefty doppelbock here,poured a deep dark amber-brown with a thinner off white head atop.Big caramel and dark fruit in the nose with a tad bit of sweet dough,flavors have a big sweet dough base mixed with alcohol dipped dark fruit,the big malt tones are the main component of the beer,its bigger than most I have had of the style.It has big flavor and complexity but its rich and a a bit heavy even for the style.

Pours clear, mahogany in color with 1/2 inch head. Taste is caramel, dark bread, and some dark fruit. Medium-heavy bodied and sweet. Nice American dopplebock..I prefer German versions of the style, but this is well worth a shot.

In a recent trip to Asheville, NC (Beer-halla) I walked into one of the best beer stores in the country, the Thirsty Monk. If you know me, I am the hyperboleistic sort. Everything is like the best ever. However, this is an exception. By this point in my life, I have tried around a thousand beers (about 500 of which reside in my bottle collection and 150 on my Taco Mac Brewniversity. In that laundry list, I have my loves; St. Bernardus Prior 8 and Abt. 12, Brooklyn Black Ops, Left Hand Milk Stout, Great Lakes Christmas, Wild Heaven Ode to Mercy, among many, but this beer has been special.

As a brewery, Duck Rabbit is impressive. While none of their beers, until now have been my favorite of a style, many have been quite close. Their recipes are classic, but crisp and refreshing. Their styles are within their comfort zone, but push the envelope. Their Doppelbock, however, is perfect.

I know what you are thinking, only Hoffmann could have a style I have not heard of as a favorite beer. First of all, listen, while this beer is in my current top five, there is no favorite to a beer lover, it is what feels right at that moment. Second, anyone would like a doppelbock if they had a good one. A doppelbock will look like a dark brown ale, brown porter, or light colored stout. It is smooth and malty; perhaps even creamy. While having subtle roast qualities, it is sweet and light. If you drink this and you had no other beer experience other than a Bud or Pabst, you may think it was a girl beer or soda, but they are so much more.

Duck Rabbit Doppelbock is not much to look at. The logo is cool, but the color is a deep brown and the head was a wispy white, that is where the standard aspects end. The body was rich, but not heavy; highly drinkable. The smell and flavor were malty chocolate, with subtle roasting. They are cleanly fermented, but complex. The scent is amazing and the flavors are rich. If you have never tried such a beer, please go and try it; you will never be the same.

Judging by the horn placement on the duck-rabbit Duck-Rabbator (yeah, "rabbat" on the label), I'm gonna say "duck" this time.

The pour produces a toasted, creamy tan head, sitting on top of a coppery brown liquid sporting various highlights that look like dark red wine.

Aroma favors an old, musty, vinous sweetness, along with generous but not overbearing alcohol, along with some raisin, fig and plum. About as interesting a doppelbock smell as I've smelled. Not a totally traditional one, but not a mockery either.

Same with the flavor. If you're wanting a traditional doppelbock, look elsewhere. The Duck-Rabbator is a surly, burly thing, dark fruits exploding everywhere with a nice kick in the ass from the alcohol (again, never out of whack, just very present). "Cherry chocolate cake" is the prevailing impression here. "Black Forest Cake" too. Yeah, it's dessert-y. The bready elements of the real German d'bocks are buried here, this is just more candy-like, sweeter, and juicier.

Speaking of juicy, the mouthfeel is a slick, juicy, slippery delight, going down ridiculously smoothly for a beer this malty and this alcoholic. I love it.

Had to take it slow, as this drinks so easily. Definitely a huge flavor, not much subtlety here, and I imagine age could change the shape of this beer in various interesting ways...but I don't think the remaining bottles are gonna make it for very long around here.

Well overcarbonated, this dark concoction (with little head) attacked my palate and did not go. Heavy, a rich chocolate, pepper, tabbacco. I was OK with it, but got more than my fill of beer today from it. For this style, turn it down, less is more, and closer to the target.

Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured for me a clear but very dark brown-black. I'd guess it to be about 31 SRM. It's short head of tan has already dropped, leaving just stops of lacing behind. The aroma is quite richly malty with notes of caramel, grain, and a light bit of dark-skinned fruitiness. Ahhh, the flavor backs that up but it's not as rich as I'd have thought it would be, nor is it as sweet, and there's an added note of black tea that's interesting. Also, the fruitiness that I found in the nose to be a bit like raisin is not as intense as I'd suspected, and there are some other fruits like apple and orange in play as well. And finally, there's a light bit of smokiness in the finish, and I hate to say it, but a touch of soy sauce as well. This is a unique bird, err, duck-rabbit to be sure. It still follows all of the rules of the style though, and it's almost compellingly drinkable. How strong is it? 8.5%, OK, that's workable - I just didn't want to find out I was chugging away at a 10 percent-er, that could be dangerous! So what did I miss? Body: medium-full. Carbonation: moderate with very fine bubbles. I think it could use a touch more gas but it's OK as it is given the style, it makes it all that much smoother. Overall it's very nice. It's not as rich as some of the best known examples, but it's satisfying, and it's got some unique characteristics to it that give it charm. I'd certainly call it "worth trying" and suggest it for malt heads and those who love dark beers.

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a very dark brown color with mahogany hues when held up to the light. The aroma features sweet bready malts and dark fruits. The taste is dark, rich, and deliciously malty. Overall, a solid doppelbock that I enjoyed.

Pours a dark brown color with a nice tan head that retains reasonably well. The aroma has a big molasses and caramel sweetness upfront, along with some licorice, honey wheat bread, cherries, plum, date and a little cognac. The flavor is similar to the aroma with a broad sweetness initially (notes of caramel, toffee and molasses), along with some dark fruits (fig, date plum, cherry), toasted wheat bread, licorice, anise, cognac, and some flinty hops. The mouthfeel is full and rich, and drinkability is excellent. An exceptional dopplebock from DR, it's complex and delicious...easily the best American iteration. Highly recommended

T: Follows the nose, caramel, leafy hops & dryness up front. Slight boozeyness as this warms, more brown sugar, woody dryness that kind of detracts from an otherwise great take on the style. Finishes dry & bready & spicy

Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, warming & dry

Pretty drinkable, not world-class, but pretty decent. However, at $14 a sixer, I would probably pass on this one again in bottled form. This one did grow on me as it warmed...